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Eating Out With Kids: Steamboat Springs

Labeling myself as a foodie, it's very important to me to seek out quality dining experiences when traveling. We spent the weekend in Steamboat Springs a town we've visited numerous times over the years. We like to seek out restaurants that the locals eat at, rather than the packed touristy spots. To be quite honest I am not huge on dining out with the girls. They are exceptional diners, but when it comes down to that last 20 minutes when meals are just being nibbled on and the check needs to arrive and signed for, sometimes chaos ensues and I can't handle it. Really those last crucial moments dining out can make or break it for me.

Obviously when seeking out quality food, it has to be kid friendly. Must. What does kid friendly mean to me, sometimes it's cutesy plastic cups, coloring sheets, crayons, and a speedy check. Service is key to maintaing the balance. So which establishments received our business closing weekend?

Freshies is a local's favorite. It's always been a hit with our girls and with us. Their menu has a great offering of breakfast and lunch. They serve all natural beef and Red Bird chicken. Freshies is the kind of restaurant that you wish existed in your home town. The food is prepared to order, a wonderful offering of healthy items that don't compromise taste. Our girls ordered chicken tenders that are not frozen, but rather freshly made with a side of fruit that was so big we took half of it home for an afternoon snack. They have amazing cinnamon rolls that fill the pastry counter when you walk in the door. Most of the time you'll find a short wait, it's well worth it. The prices are reasonable as well. Two thumbs up!

One night we had the opportunity to dine out with a very old friend (we went to grade school in NY together) and her family. We had four girls under 6 and four adults. We decided on Fiesta Jalisco, which is a bit off the beaten path meaning you won't find it downtown. Fiesta Jalisco is the mountain version of our locally well known Three Margaritas, the menus are very similar. The service is wonderful and the basket of chips is always nonchalantly refreshed. We ordered house margaritas, delicious queso, and your typical mexican offerings such as enchiladas, shrimp fajitas, and fish tacos. Best yet, it's affordable and time efficient, something that makes the tops on my list.

Because I sometimes can't stand the thought of dining out over and over again, we found an alternative. There's a wonderful place called the Drunken Onion which offers pre-made meals that you can heat up back at the condo. We purchased a range of dinner foods, meeting the needs of the girls and us for a reasonable cost. All of the items were made with very fresh and quality ingredients. Our Greek Salad was one of the best i've had from a restaurant in quite sometime, it had kalamata olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers, cukes, and freshly made dressing. You can pick and choose side vegetables that are most appealing to your mood and family's needs, for us it was broccoli the girls' favorite. J and I had a blackened chicken with lemon chive aioli that was served on polenta squares. I am not a huge polenta fan, but this particular polenta was delicious. Although I refrained the Guinness Stout and Chocolate freshly made in house ice cream was rather tempting. They also have a great offering of desserts. You can find the menu here. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Drunken Onion if you are looking for an alternative to take out, with out having to do all the work yourself to have a delicious home cooked style meal.

Steamboat Springs is a great place to take your family, it's definitely family friendly, and affordable. As far as lodging, there's nothing better than The Steamboat Grand. I must add, their beds are amazing, too bad I had to share it with the girls. That's a whole other post in and of itself.

Please leave a comment if you find yourself at any of the above establishments, I'd love to hear about your experience.